Strengthening relationships with tribal leaders statewide is the goal of the University of New Mexico Tribal Summit on Higher Education scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 7 in the SUB ballroom.
“We are looking at where the university needs to support Native American students, and then more broadly, the Native American community,” UNM Regent Sandra Begay-Campbell said. “The summit will help us begin the long term dialogue that is needed to move UNM forward.”
Begay-Campbell will give the welcome at 9 a.m. Santo Domingo Pueblo Governor Everett Chavez will deliver an opening prayer followed by the introduction of tribal leaders.
UNM President Louis Caldera will give opening remarks at 9:45 a.m. followed by facilitated dialogue between tribal leaders and UNM administrators.
UNM Athletics Director Rudy Davalos will speak during lunch. Student-led campus tours for tribal leaders are also scheduled.
Regent Begay-Campbell chaired the Tribal Summit Planning Committee, comprised of senior administrators, faculty and staff, program directors and three former tribal governors. The committee recommended that a comprehensive assessment be conducted to determine UNM's strengths and weaknesses in educating Native Americans. Based on the results, a 10-year strategic vision was developed.
Recommendations include suggestions for unprecedented partnerships, designed to achieve the university's goals, objectives and mission.
“UNM administrators are taking these objectives very seriously and are putting money into Native American programs,” said Begay Campbell, noting that $50,000 of UNM's annual budget has been allotted to the nationally recognized Native American pre-law program, which has existed on “soft money” since the 1960s.
Specific goals under consideration at UNM include:
• Vastly increase Native American retention and graduation rates
• Recruit Native Americans to top administrative positions
• Develop a master's program in Native American Studies
• Develop a Living and Learning Community for Native American freshmen
For the next two years, UNM's Native American Strategies include:
- Embrace and engage Native American culture at UNM
- Build a sustainable, responsive leadership structure on indigenous issues
- Align the academic mission to relevant tribal priorities
- Develop partnerships to leverage resources
These strategies and others will serve as a starting point for discussion with New Mexico's tribal leaders during the summit, which concludes at 4:45 p.m.
Contacts: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915 or Cindy Foster, (505) 272-0260
Posted by scarr at August 22, 2005 01:29 PM